Young Kids Surveyed About The Upcoming Presidential Election -- Check Out Who Kids Want In The Oval Office

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This is a release that explains a survey of kid's political views about the upcoming Presidential Election. The findings in the survey are extremely compelling and newsworthy because of the in depth knowledge these kids have.

Stamford, CT (PRWEB)October 17, 2008

Young kids nationwide are reflecting knowledge and concerns about the issues facing America's next President, according to a survey of 8 to 12 year-olds just conducted by Just Kid Inc., a leading research and new-product consultancy that focuses on kids, 'tweens' and their families. 44% of kids surveyed favor the Barack Obama ticket, with 28% pro-McCain-Palin. Importantly, 28% remain undecided. Ironically, kids prefer Vice-Presidential candidate Sarah Palin to Joe Biden by nearly 2-to-1.

But the most impactful findings of this survey of some 500 young Americans are their dramatically heightened awareness of key issues surrounding the race. "These findings confirm what we have seen in conversations with kids across the country - in 15 years of studying kids, I've never heard them pay so much attention to news and politics," says Dr. Michelle Poris, Senior Director of Quantitative Research at Just Kid Inc and author of the survey.

Cheaper gas is first on kids' lists, with 70% of those surveyed wanting the new President to find a way to make gas less expensive. No doubt kids hear parental griping at the pump, but when combined with a desire for protecting "us" from terrorism (62%), stopping the Iraq war (61%), better schools (60%), and the need for free healthcare (50%), it's obvious that kids of all ages are tracking on a lot more than a trip to the mall.

According to Dr. Poris "These topics are obviously taking precedence at dinner table conversations and other family discussions in homes across America. What we find most interesting is that regardless of the specific age, children are thinking hard about their own future and that of the country. They are concerned about the direction things will take and feel strongly about who they want to see as leaders and role models."

WHAT KIDS ARE THINKING!
Candidates as Likeable Leaders and Role Models

When Just Kid Inc asked which Presidential candidate they themselves would vote for, 44% of America's Young Future Voters indicated they would vote the Obama-Biden ticket, 28% would vote for McCain-Palin, and 28% are still undecided.

Sarah Palin outranked Biden (34% vs. 18%) as a good selection for vice president, feeling Palin brought more to McCain's campaign, then Biden brought to Obama's.

Just to keep things interesting, a whopping 62% of the kids really like Hillary Clinton and would rather see her in the Oval Office than Palin.

Just Kid also asked survey participants who of the candidates for both President and Vice President would make them feel better about the future of our country. Obama was overwhelmingly the clear winner over McCain (47% - 25%), while Sarah Palin garnered 27% of the votes compared to only 14% for Biden. Comparing opinion between genders, girls clearly felt Sarah Palin would be better for the country's future than did boys (30% vs. 24%).

"However," says Dr. Poris, "we found that all of the kids' opinions regarding the candidates and their respective campaign promises go well beyond the likeability factor. Young people are worried. They are obviously paying attention to struggles in their families and how the mounting issues might affect not just the country, but their own lives."

While Just Kid did not ask if one candidate presented a better role model over another, survey responses to the question asking which candidate makes them feel better about their own future -- broken out by race and gender -- decidedly indicate that minority kids very strongly relate to Barack Obama.

About the Survey

In September of 2008, Just Kid Inc. conducted a quantitative online survey to assess kids' viewpoints on the upcoming election. The study was conducted in the US among an ethnic cross-section of 599 8-12 year olds with a 50/50 gender split.

In compliance with COPPA regulations, JKI requires parental permission for children 12 and under to participate in online surveys. Parents were encouraged to assist the children when appropriate but were given specific instructions about allowing the kids to answer questions on their own.

The survey was approximately 10 minutes in length and quotas were placed for age, gender, race/ethnicity, and US census region to ensure a representative sample.

For additional information, a copy of the survey or to discuss the results, please contact Dr. Michelle Poris, Senior Director of Quantitative Research, Just Kid Inc. by phone at 203-358-2102 or by email at mporis(at)justkidinc.com.

Just Kid Inc.

Founded in 1994, Just Kid Inc. is the country's preeminent strategic research and innovation team focused exclusively on children 2-12 and their parents. Proven innovators for the nation's leading marketers and non-profits, Just Kid taps into the impulses and motivations of families across America, consistently delivering insightful research, innovative new products, and game-changing strategies that deliver huge, measurable market returns while helping to change kids' worlds for the better. For more information, visit the Just Kid website at http://www.justkidinc.com.